On-Post Lodging
If you’re active duty or retired and enjoy traveling in the off-season, chances are you may be able to stay on a military installation for the duration of your vacation. I’ve personally used this perk a few times in Germany and at Virginia Beach. A great place to start is the Department of Defense Lodging website. Remember, as with Space-A, active military get priority and military identification is required.
Restaurant Discounts
Restaurant deals available to veterans are almost too numerous to mention. My suggestion is to just ask. Some of my personal favorite restaurant discounts are at Texas Roadhouse, IHOP, Applebee’s and Outback. Other restaurants that offer discounts to veterans include:
- Baskin Robbins
- Longhorn Steakhouse
- Arby’s
- Chick-fil-A
- Dairy Queen
- Hooters
- Johnny Rockets
- Schlotzsky’s Deli
- O’Charley’s
- Boston Market
- Ben & Jerry’s
- Buffalo Wild Wings
Johnny Rockets offers a whopping 50 percent discount to veterans and many of these restaurants offer completely free meals to veterans on Veteran’s Day. Last Veteran’s Day I had a free breakfast at IHOP, lunch at Golden Corral and dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Also, many small mom-and-pop restaurants tend to be patriotic and frequently offer a 10 to 15 percent discount.
Additional exclusive restaurant discounts are available with a Veterans Advantage membership. You’ll get an ID card and booklet of offers in the mail, along with additional benefits like travel insurance and a drug discount plan. A list of participating restaurants is available here.
Retail Discounts
The retailers that offer military discounts are too numerous to list here. However, almost all of them have a few things in common: an ID is required. Either in the form of an active-duty or retiree ID. Under Armour, Columbia, Kohl’s, Nike, Old Navy, Rack Room, Wilson’s Leather, Apple (wow!), Best Buy and AT&T are just a few. A word of caution: not every location participates in the discount program.
If you’re planning to use a retail discount it’s best to call ahead or be prepared to receive a “no” when asking. Also, I have had several instances in the past where I KNOW a retailer offers a discount, but the staff member is not aware of it. In a case like this, it’s best to gracefully accept the “no” rather than make a big deal about it.
